The present invention relates in general to automotive starting systems and, in particular, to an improved battery access system.
Due to the cold of the winter months or due to a person forgetting to turn out the lights of the car, a car battery may not have enough energy to start the engine. This causes great inconvenience to the person who wishes to use the automobile. In order for the engine to be started, the battery must usually be recharged. One way of starting the engine and thus recharging the battery is to have the battery jumped.
Serious dangers exist in using the widely used type of jumper cable system which is comprised of two cables, each having at each end an alligator-type grip which allows the attachment of cable to a terminal of a battery. One danger involves the incorrect connection of the positive and negative poles of the batteries. Another danger involves battery explosion due to sparks igniting hydrogen gas given off by the battery.
In addition to eliminating the aforementioned dangers, this improved battery access system permits easy access to the battery power when needed in emergency cases, such as car trouble on the road, and also provides a method for obtaining direct current electricity for emergency lighting uses.
Among the prior art in jumper systems is the device by A. W. Greenberg, U.S. Pat. No. 3,466,453, entitled Electrical System for Vehicles. This electrical system includes a socket on each vehicle and an electrical connector, having a plug at each end for hooked-up electrical engagement with the socket. One disadvantage of the Greenberg patent is that the electrical connecting member is designed to be stored in the trunk of either or both vehicles, as on a reel, when not in use. Thus, the effectiveness of the invention requires that the electrical connector member is either in the vehicle or nearby when needed. It would be possible that the electrical connector cable will not be available when needed. Thus, it is an object to provide a battery access system which is always available when needed to jump the battery. Such a system should not require a person to go looking for a connector cable, such as in the Greenberg patent but rather, the entire battery access system should be located under the hood of the vehicle.
Accordingly, this invention has the following objects:
To provide an improved battery access system for starting engines having a defective battery;
To provide an improved battery access system for starting engines having defective circuitry between the battery and the starter solenoid;
To provide an improved battery access system which can aid in re-charging a defective battery;
To provide an improved battery access system to eliminate the possibility of incorrect polarity connections;
To provide an improved battery access system which can be used safely;
To provide an improved battery access system which can be totally contained underneath the hood of a vehicle; and
To provide an improved battery access system which can also be used to connect external electrical apparatuses to the battery which supplies direct current.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following disclosure.